Thicker than water
by Jordanya
Summary: My first *please be nice* . Sorry about horrible summary: *Movieverse, postX1* Girl leaves on a trip with friends, only to come back a month later and find her family life has wholly changed. Now she's on the hunt to find & rescue her changed brother.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Okay so ... this is my first time writing a fanfic (please be nice) and it's acting as a bit of a stress reliever. Um, set post-X1 movieverse; perhaps going into X2, in an indirect way but I'm still not sure on that. It might start out a little slow (sorry). _

_Oh right, although right now it's mainly OC I guess I should say this right off the bat - I do not own the X-Men characters (wish I did), or the X-men marvelverse, and so-on and so forth. Enjoy, pls R&R._

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"You played ninny-ninny with a _dog_?"

"Yep, really riled it up," Brian replied with a grin. She just shook her head and turned back to the rest of them.

"So whose turn is it on this round?" The question was met with a unified groan. A bottle rested on the coffee table, glasses scattered around its vicinity.

"Don't you think we could stop? At least for a little while?" Hopeful faces turned in her direction and became downfallen as she shook her head.

"No way, the whole point of this was to open and finish this bottle – a bon voyage for the trip, so to speak."

Jon scowled from his sprawled position on the couch. "Yeah well, not all of us are goin'. Besides, why the hell do you have sake?"

"You can blame Kayle for that," she gestured to a curly-haired guy grinning sheepishly from a recliner," he gave it to me on my birthday." She bent forward to fill a glass and plonked it on the table with a degree of finality. "Now, somebody, bottoms up."

* * *

_My sister has cancer – Zombie cancer! Peeuw! Peeuw!_ – this was followed by further inane sounds.

Sarah squinched her eyes with a moan and blindly tried to burrow into the couch. A chair squeaked and she felt someone poking her shoulder; she answered with a grunt.

"What time did you come in?" her brother asked as he returned to his computer. Wincing in pain as the diffused sunlight stabbed her eyes she muttered a reply.

"Dunno … four maybe … not sure. Nnnnhhh, my _head_." Sarah returned to trying to hide away and attempted a scowl into the cushions when her brother chuckled.

"That is what you get for drinking and a late night." She rolled her eyes – this coming from someone four years under the drinking age. In another part of the house came sounds of rustling and muffled voices.

"Sounds like mom and dad are up," Pete noted and tilted his chair to eye his sister. "You might want to go and change. You look kinda crappy."

Rolling her eyes yet again, she slid off the couch and made her way to the stairs heading for her room. Slipping into her room she glanced around and sighed. It was a mess – papers scattered everywhere. Sometime she would have to gather up her notes from exam time, but right then she just had enough energy to change. She dressed quickly and brushed her hair up into a ponytail.

Trotting up the stairs she strode into the sunny kitchen and tried to greet her parents with a smile. It was more like a grimace. With a sympathetic smile her mother handed her a glass of water.

"Have a fun night?"

_

* * *

_

And in world news, the debate still rages as the United States continue to investigate the attempted mutant attack on the Ellis Island world conference –which resulted in numerous damages to the Statue of Liberty. Demonstrations for Mutant Registration have increased significantly, not only in the U.S. but also within our own nation. The Prime Minister had this to –

Sparing the now silent television an annoyed glance, Sarah returned to her computer. She had never been much of a news watcher and lately she could not stand it. The news had never been very good with telling the whole truth or ensuring both sides were covered, and lately it had been getting worse; especially with the registration act. A ring from her computer drew back her attention.

Ron: /So where has your mind wandered off to?/

/Sry the news again. Still discussing the whole issue on mutant registration. Can't stand it./ She typed.

/It's amazing isn't it? how much fear ppl have. They are no different than us – good ppl, bad ppl.

Anyway back to the issue at hand: do you have your train pass yet? It's going to be hell in Japan if you don't./

/Yeah, yeah, no worries. I just can't believe 3 days and we're going!/

/yep, hopefully nate and kayle have all their stuff ready as well./

/Well I gotta head off. ttyl/

With that she signed out and stood up to stretch. She looked out the window onto the front lawn and watched the sunny day that was winding its way down. Sunlight played over roses in full bloom and quails made their stiff, speedy way to the cedar hedges. Sarah loved the early summer, when the temperatures were still only in the mid-twenties, and before the true flocks of sun-desperate tourists appeared. With a sigh she reached for her phone. The violent slam of the front door nearly made her jump as she turned to see her brother stomp into the living room tossing his bag to the couch. He tried to kick his shoes off and swore in frustration as he lost balance. Slamming down onto a chair he fumbled with the laces, a look of pure anger on his face. Cell phone forgotten Sarah moved over to Pete.

"What's with you?" She asked, knowing it might be a spark to a powder keg.

He gave up on getting the final shoe off and leaned forward resting his arms on his knees.

"Someone was found out as a mutant today at school. One of those girls from a clique," he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "It was terrible, the way people looked at her when she came in to class. And how she was treated! Her friends completely abandoned her – I found her cornered in a hallway, if I hadn't passed by I don't know what would have happened to her. No one challenged me – lucky me." He laughed hollowly and Sarah slowly nodded in understanding; at nearly 6'00", and what she considered a bit of a weight room junky, he was certainly no push over.

"Do you know what the worst is? She was gone by the end of lunch – teachers acted as if nothing was wrong; I went to the office to see what the deal was. The secretary told me her parents came to pick her up. Funny thing is I knew it was a lie, the secretary couldn't even look at me! And all I could do was just nod and leave."

Sarah's heart skipped. They both knew the truth – the girl had been removed from the school. Many people may have just believed them to be rumours but everyone under twenty-five knew that the Mutant Detainment Bureau grabbed supposed mutants right off the street. There was nothing that could be done.

"Look … I have to get some last minute things for my trip. Wanna come?" She wasn't sure about leaving her brother alone in the house, but she couldn't stay – she had to go before the store closed.

Pete straightened up and tried to give her a weak grimace. "No thanks, wandering up and down a store is not exactly on my to-do list. You go ahead I'm going to go for a run."

With that he untied the other shoe and moved to his room to grab a change of clothes. Sarah stood looking doubtful before hesitantly grabbing her handbag and heading out the door.

* * *

"Make sure to email us if you can, okay?"

"Yep, I will Dad." Sarah reached into the boot to grab her backpack; it proved a little difficult due to its size and the fact that it had slid to the back.

"We're sure you'll have a lekker time, sweetie," Her mom said as she rounded the car. Sarah nodded as she absent-mindedly handed the backpack to her dad.

"Jislaaik! I know you're going for a month, but it's like a tonne of bricks!" Rolling her eyes she turned to shut the boot and caught sight of three figures overtop of the car. The three figures seemed a bit laden down by the packs they were carrying.

"Hey guys! Howzit?" She called out to them as she ran up. No matter how much she tried she couldn't help the wide grin that split her face from ear to ear. It was finally here! After two years of scrimping and saving they were finally on their way. Sarah noted that Ron, Nate and Kayle also seemed to be having trouble trying not to grin like the three stooges. Further back she could see that their parents had come to see them off as well. Her parents strode up and her dad handed the pack to her with a grunt.

As they strolled through the airport Sarah noticed the heightened security that was posted along the walls staring at everyone that passed with detached expressions.

"I guess this is where we stop. Have a good trip, 'kay?" Her dad reached to give her a hug.

"Yeah, see ya Dad. Bye Mom." Sarah gave her mom a quick squeeze. "Tell Pete to keep out of trouble and to stay away from my cereal, alright?" she said jokingly as she adjusted her pack and turned to see the guys signalling to her. With a final wave she bounded over.

* * *

"Holy! Look at that security line!" Sarah exclaimed. It extended far afield and she watched as uniformed men patrolled up and down its sides scrutinizing every face.

"Must be to the U.S. – policies have been ramped up to get in there now," Ron suggested as he sifted through a bag pocket. "Well I'm off, see you on the plane."

Sarah stuck out her tongue. He just grinned and left; with his business-class ticket he would get to go relax in another part of the airport. Kayle shrugged and motioned in the other direction. Moving away they heard a few shrieks and the sound of a scuffle coming from off to the side. They turned back to see a man with vivid blue hair struggling against security as he was dragged from the line. He continued to buck as two guards grabbed him under each arm and at one point he managed to partially break free, extending out his hand. Sarah stood entranced as the man's hand began to take on a blue radiance and spark, but as he extended his arm, flattening out his hand the power faded and he was left confused, finally slumping in defeat and allowing himself to be carted away.

Sarah felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she twisted her head to see Nate looking past her, he watched the guy a few more seconds and then looked back to her.

"We should get going."


	2. Chapter 2: Missing

A/N: _well here's another chapter. For clarification the main char. is ~19 yrs-old(maybe 18) (don't have to think of her as that old, but I figure it allows me to do a bit more with her)._

_And once again, although they won't be in here for a while longer, I do not own the X-men characters, the concept of the X-men and their marvelverse, etc. But I DO own Sarah, Pete, the guys, and all the random mutant char. I am and will be making up (even if only to take them away again, :D)._

_Please R&R._

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The background rumble of the plane began to press on her already tired mind. Her legs itched; the urge to straighten them was becoming almost unbearable. She looked around to distract herself – the lights had been dimmed and all noises had quietened down. Many people sat uncomfortably as they attempted to sleep, while the faces of others were quietly illuminated by the flickering images on the back-seat consoles. Sarah returned her gaze to the seats beside her and watched the shadowy forms occupying them. Nate lay asleep, his skinny frame jammed up into the corner of his seat against the window. Kayle sat staring intently at the screen before him, rubbing his eyes occasionally as the movie flickered by. He seemed to feel her gaze and turned to give her a thumbs-up. She returned it with one of her own before settling some more into her seat, inching her legs out as much as she could. Her thoughts returned inward, to the glow of the trip and her appreciation of almost being off this plane and home. The feelings were dampened a bit as her mind played over the less desirable incidences of the trip.

Entering into the hotel lobby fatigue hit her like wet wool. She stumbled slightly before she regained her balance. The guys followed closely behind her to the elevators, sharing looks of concern behind her back. Punching the button for the elevator Sarah turned to face them.

"You didn't have to come back with me."

Ron gave her a look. "You wouldn't have been able to find your way back without us. Besides," he added grabbing her hand to bring her back upright from her sudden tilt, "you're not looking too great and you feel cool – well, for you."

Even she had to concede on that point, generally her body was really warm but at that moment she felt chilled. She inwardly groaned. _Now is the perfect time to be getting sick._

"I'll be fine, just let me get some sleep and I'll get over it." She pinned Ron down with a stare. "I blame that nasty ice cream you made us eat."

The other two started to look a little green. "Please don't remind us."

With a prompt the elevator doors opened and they all piled in. "Really, I just want to go to sleep. I'll feel better after that."

After three days she did start to feel lively again, although she couldn't say the same for the guys – they seemed more subdued. She couldn't blame them, just to mention the ice cream incident seemed to send Kayle running.

* * *

The next time of incident occurred two days before their departure.

The sound of cars passing along the road, hundreds of feet pounding pavement and the incessant buzz of voices in the background seemed to energize Sarah as she walked down the pavement, her head twisting every which way to see everything. The lights of Tokyo were astounding and dazzled the eye. She stopped once more to fiddle with her camera. She toggled through the options, cursing herself for not reading the booklet when she bought the thing.

"Please, please, please work." Bringing it up she tilted to take a snap shot of the lighted high-rises that disappeared up into the darkness. A click and she brought it back down to see the results – her hopes were dashed as she viewed the blurry, dim display.

"Aww, come o-" The breath was knocked out of her as someone freight-trained her in the small of the back, sending her speeding to the ground and the camera skittering into the forest of legs moving past. Easing herself on to her knees, she gingerly inspected her hands. Anger bloomed and she threw her head up, scanning for the perpetrator. There were shouts further ahead, and she began to ease around people following the source, finally having to push through as the crowd thickened and stilled. As she moved closer she began to see overhead of everyone to the disturbance.

It was a girl, looking about 13 but most likely fifteen, backed up against the glass front of a hotel. A group of young policemen were approaching her carefully while an older officer barked out orders. The girl looked terrified, her wide eyes reflecting the night's myriad of lights and breathe coming in short, harsh gasps. The girl pressed herself harder into the building, making herself as small as possible with each shout from the officer. Even though Sarah's understanding of Japanese was lacking she could still get the gist of what was being ordered: hands up, turn and face the wall. Don't. Move. Give. Up.

With the girl's focus on the older man, a police officer took the chance and moved to seize her. That's when it happened, the girl's chest hitched and everything seemed to dim. Almost as one organism the crowd moved back, and yet Sarah almost found herself being pushed forward. She glanced wildly around herself before her gaze gravitated back towards the scene. Black, oily waves seemed to roil and lick around the girl, nearly obscuring her from sight. As the cloying substance climbed higher it started to throb; police officers began to panic and moved back as far as they could. The black matter seemed to throb like a heart until, reaching a crescendo, it blew outwards; a wave of oily energy spreading towards the congregated mass. Sarah cried out and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself being crushed as the people closer to the blast pressed back against the slower outer crowd. Sarah felt herself being jostled and squeezed, letting out a scream as something slid over her ankle and settled into her skin with a prickling sensation. Then it was gone – silence reigned, muffled moans and cries interwoven.

Sarah opened her eyes onto ruin, people lay shuddering on the ground their skin raw and bleeding. The pavement was rough and brittle, the glass façade bubbled and opaque from a corrosive force. She turned her head slowly to take in the panorama of destruction, the area she was in seemed to have faired better than elsewhere, looking at the degree of damage it had dissipated significantly before reaching where she was. Her body froze as she caught sight of the girl's body. She had taken a bullet in the shoulder, her ghostly body in vivid contrast with the crimson pool spreading slowly around her barely breathing form.

* * *

Sarah scrubbed her hands over her face to rid the image from her mind. She was almost home all was good, she just needed to sleep, just … sleep.

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"Mom! Dad!" She shouted waving frantically. "I'll see you guys Wednesday." She bid farewell to Kayle, Nate and Ron as she pulled her pack after her, running to give her parents a hug.

They met her with tired, strained smiles and squeezed her hard. Sarah really appreciated her parents' efforts to come pick her up, especially at this time at night, or early morning, whichever way one looked at it.

"So how was the trip?"Her mother asked as she turned towards the exit.

"It was awesome! But I'm so tired. The flights really seem to take the energy right out of you," Sarah said laughingly as she helped her dad to remove her pack.

"That's good," her father replied tiredly, hoisting the bag onto his own shoulder. Sarah's mind took a bit of a backstep as she looked more closely at her parents; they seemed to have aged a bit in the time she had gone, were a bit more worn and tired.

She shook her head. Of course they looked tired, it was three in the morning! And work was probably going through one of its hellish times again. Rubbing her forehead as she felt the jetlag hitting her hard, she followed her parents to the car.

* * *

Enjoying the lovely feel of her own bed, she stretched and with a sigh cracked open her eyes to see her alarm clock.

3:43 pm

Sarah blinked in surprise. She had slept for nearly twelve hours, a surprising feat. She slowly swung herself in to a sitting position and sat with her legs dangling over the edge, her eyes partially closed. With a small smile she pushed herself from the bed and moved towards her pack. Her brother would be upstairs with friends on his computer and she couldn't wait to see his reaction to the souvenir she had gotten him. They did not get along often but, like most siblings, they had their moments.

The parcel under her arm she bounded up the stairs and planting her feet on the upper landing she yelled a childish 'tah-dah' as she brought up the gift, straight-armed, in front of her.

Her exclamation was met with silence. From another part of the house the mechanics of a clock could be heard. The computer chair was empty, the monitor reflecting a ghostly image of the empty room.

"Damn."

She moved through the living room, past the front door, and entered the passage way to her brother's room. A quick knock and she pushed open the door.

The bundle dropped from her hands, the wrapping tearing slightly to reveal a corner of the shikami mask. Pete's room was a mess; clothes were strewn everywhere, papers scattered to the four winds across his floor. She frowned, she was no neat freak herself, but after his provincial exams she would have figured he'd clean up a bit. With a sigh she picked up the mask, checking it for damage, and absently shut the door behind her.

* * *

The grinding of a key in the lock brought Sarah out of her television-induced stupor and she turned to greet her mom as she stepped through the door. Her mother looked exhausted and Sarah strode over to help her mom with all the bags.

"So Mom, do you know when Pete's going to be back from whoever's house he went to? I want to give him this today, since I will be at work tomorrow afternoon." She indicated to the re-taped bundle sitting on the bench.

Her mom's body slumped slightly and her chest hitched. "Sarah, we n- "

"Ah wait, there's Dad," Sarah interrupted as she spotted her father's car pull in. He unfolded himself from the car and walked over to meet them. Sarah missed the look her mother sent to her dad – as if he were a lifeline in an ocean storm.

His gait faltered as he caught sight of the look, he took a breath and squared his shoulders. As he approached, he reached out and pulled them into a hug.

"Sarah, we need to talk."

* * *

"Pete's gone? What do you mean _gone_?"

"After the high school year ended, about 8 days after you left, Pete started that summer job at the new aquatics centre."

"Yeah, I remember him talking about it…"

"Well, he started complaining about having headaches while at the pool. At first they weren't much more than just a little bit of pressure behind the eyes, more strain than anything, until about two weeks ago –" At this point her dad took over and continued the story.

"At that point, they were getting so bad th – it was almost like a migraine, but he kept saying that the pressure was more than just in his head, it had spread to his joints too."

"We started getting really worried, but he just kept saying it was fine, it would get better. Then one day when he was at the pool he – well he…

"Oh sweetie, he took out part of the aquatics centre."Her mother burst out, leaving Sarah stunned.

"T-took out…out…?"

Her father grasped for the remote and turned the television to the local news channel. They were greeted with a barrage of images; the husk of a partially hollowed out building, ambulances, gurneys hauling away injured adults and children, giant windows almost devoid of glass gaping in the side of a concrete wall. It was all that remained of the north-east corner of the aquatics building, stripped to its bare concrete bones.

Her father turned to her, his eyes burning with anger. "After the accident those _bastards_ took him away, we haven't seen him since. They won't _let_ us see him." His hands clenched into fists. His actions were mirrored in the anger and frustration displayed on her mom's face.

Sarah felt the blood drain from her own. Her brother had been taken, not by the police, but by the real law-enforcers to fear.

* * *

16 days into the trip:


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do no own any of the X-men characters, although they are still not in the story yet (patience, patience), and I am not nor will be making any money off of them. Sarah, Pete and M M are mine._

_A/N: Sorry if this is a bit short, always looks longer on Word, but this is a setup chapter so I thought it best to break it here. I do promise that the next chapter will have more action (even if I have to write 10 pages to do it). Enjoy, and please R&R. (Thanx for putting me on story alert crystalfeathers XD)_

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Sarah's eyes stared up into the shadowy reaches of her darkened room. The house was wrapped in silence, no movement, only the quiet ticking over of the furnace. Her parents had went to bed emotionally exhausted hours ago, after telling her everything they knew and had pieced together.

* * *

"Hey! No running!" The kid skidded to a halt and moved forward at a more sedate pace. Pete scowled, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he turned back to the line at the waterslide he was managing. Just in time catch a kid looking wide-eyed innocent on their stomach on the slide.

"Nice try kid. On your back, feet first," Pete growled, rubbing his nose harder. His head was pounding again, making it almost impossible to think. He reached into his pocket and quietly palmed a painkiller, then tossed it quickly into his mouth. With a sigh he motioned to the next person in the line.

"All right sir, make sure to keep arms tucked in and feet first dow-" His jaw clacked shut as pain suddenly balled in his stomach and shot down his legs. He gripped the rail to support himself, and started panting as the pain increased then suddenly ebbed. He motioned for the man to wait and turned to look over the rail, white knuckled, scanning for a familiar co-worker's face. A flash of colour caught his eye and he called out to a petite blonde.

"Ashley! Up here!" She turned to look up, giving a small wave and began to weave between people as she headed in his direction. With many apologies she squeezed past slide-goers on the stairs and moved up alongside him.

"What's up?"

"Can you watch my line for a bit? I need to go to first aid."

Concern clouded her eyes. "Not feeling well again? Pete, you need to see a doctor."

"I know don't worry – parents already booked me an appointment for this evening. I just need to go see Rick right now, see what he can give me to deal with it 'til then." With a nod from Ashley, he gingerly made his way down the stairs and straightened up as he hit the last step.

He was heading around the corner of the Olympic sized pool, when pain exploded in his head and moved down to bind itself around his arms and legs. His vision tunnelled and he felt himself drop to his knees. Breath wouldn't come and all thought fled; it was just the pain and a sensation like something tearing outward, forcing its way through his skin. He cried out and his vision bleached, a white sheet that wrapped around him, suffocating, drowning.

* * *

Her brother's mutation had apparently kicked in at the pool; while it was a bit later than most puberty induced changes it wasn't unheard of. From eyewitness accounts it was found that in the early afternoon Pete had started to stagger around the pool, finally falling to his knees, his arms wrapped around his head. Some visitors had tried to approach him to see if he was alright when they noticed something seemed to be leaking from his skin, forming almost a second membrane. The substance started glow then suddenly flared, like a magnesium reaction, and had blasted outwards with a roar of heat and pressure.

When the dust settled fifty people had been injured - broken bones and some burns in the lesser cases; three individuals that had been the closest to him suffering serious third degree burns and deep lacerations from being thrown through the heavily glazed windows. Pete was discovered by the rescue crews that came to sort through the rubble of the northeast corner, unconscious and uninjured. The police had attempted to take him away but were usurped by the arrival of the task force from the Mutant DB, who hauled him into the back of a black service van.

Sarah turned and curled up on her side. The Bureau didn't have limited powers like the police, they could seize whomever they felt to be a dangerous mutant and, as her parents had discovered, could detain them without allowing visitors, family or otherwise. The bureau was smart though, generally doing things quietly, secretively, so no one knew the true extent of their powers or could prove any actions they had taken – kidnapping and the like. This was to prevent the bleeding hearts from calling on them and thereby making government reprimand them as a good PR stunt for more votes in future elections.

There was an official office downtown where 'dangerous mutants' who had disturbed the peace were held, but she had seen the building, a grey monolithic block, and there was no way she would be able to get in there.

She shifted and returned to staring at her ceiling once more. The hands on the hallway clock moved ever forward and she planned.

* * *

Early morning light filtered slowly through the filmy curtains, diffusing the shadows around the room, and alighting on a figure moving quietly with purpose.

Sarah hadn't slept at all; merely lain in wait for day to start. She moved over to her desk and grabbed the spare car keys out of her drawer. Like a meagre shadow she edged her way up the stairs, hooking a finger through her handbag strap and silently approaching the front door. With the smallest click of the lock she was outside in the cool morning air and making her way over the damp grass to the car.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

The walkway up to the two story house was lined with vibrant flowers, clamouring for colourful attention. Sarah gripped her bag tighter and took a deep breath as she walked to the door and quietly knocked. She could hear movement inside the house and as the door opened she was greeted by a cheerful lady in her mid-forties.

"Sarah! I haven't seen you since, well, I guess since you and Mike graduated. How are you?"

Sarah greeted her with a strained smile. "Hi Mrs. Montagne, it's good to see you too. It has been a while, hasn't it? Is … um… is Mike home?"

"Sure, lucky enough, he came to stay for the weekend. Let me just go get him." With that she ushered Sarah into the door and moved further into the house to find her son.

Sarah didn't have to wait long as a tall blonde-haired guy strode confidently into the entrance hall in a pair of track pants. He gave a cocky grin as she tried to avoid openly staring at his bare torso and focused on his face.

"Hey Sarah, long time no see." He settled against a wall, watching her with the grin still on his face. His blue eyes flicked over her, not missing a thing. "What can I do for ya?"

Michalis "Mike" Montagne was someone she had known since late elementary school, and had, once, even had a crush on. He was an egotistical asshole of the nth degree; but he was an asshole with connections, lots of them, and a strong belief in mutant rights. Michalis knew a lot of people, some legit, many questionable, and he was informed and involved in many things. He was the 'go-to' guy.

Sarah avoided a biting remark, instead chewing on the inside of her cheek. "You know why I'm here."

Mike pushed off the wall, his eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I heard about your brother, but that doesn't tell me _why you're here_."

"I need your help." Something she had promised herself she'd never ask for. "I need to know if my brother is still there, if he's okay." She waited; shoulders hunched, feet planted apart ready to hear his verdict. After he had changed towards the end of high school, their friendship hadn't exactly ended on amicable terms.

In the silence Sarah dared to look up, and forced herself not to step back as she saw how close Mike had moved to her. He looked at her intently, searching her face. Finally, with a small nod to himself, he stepped back and motioned her to follow.

When they reached his room he sprawled on the bed, and lazily reached over for a beige folder on his nightstand. "I've already had a little investigating done of my own."

He tossed the file over to the doorway where Sarah was standing. She opened it and sifted through the photographs and papers, looking at the grainy images that must have come from security tapes that displayed a line of cells and further ones of her brother huddled on a cot, of pacing the cell, of looks of anger and him shouting. Her hand faltered over a final photo, this one taken from a high quality camera at night, outside of what must have been the detainment building. There was a black van, barely illuminated by a street light and figures dragging a limp body to its open doors.

"They've transferred him." He raised a hand to prevent her from speaking. "I don't know where exactly but you know the rumours yourself: facilities in the Rockies where they confine and do whatever the hell they want. Not even I can find out where the location is more than that _one _is close to the Albertan border." An angry buzz drew his attention and he reached over for the small black cell. He listened in silence to whoever was on the other line and then terminated call.

"That was an … acquaintance of mine, asked him to keep an eye on your place." He looked at her carefully. "Looks like you won't be able to go home; they're at your house. Seems the MDB have an interest in you."

Sarah gave a confused look. That didn't make any sense, she hadn't even been there when the incident occurred, why would they want her?

Mike turned the cell around and took off the back, placed a small, square object inside and snapped the back shut. He sat up and reached out to give it to Sarah.

"Here, take this. If you need help just call, it should work anywhere," he explained with a wry smile.

Still in a state of shock, Sarah accepted the phone without a word and mindlessly followed him to the door. It was then that the realization hit her; the checking up on her brother, the surveillance of her house, this required time and planning, had been premeditated. As she stood at the front door gratitude and other emotions flooded her, making her unable to speak as she turned back to see him leaning on the door, a genuine smile on his face.

"Why do you think I was home for the weekend?"

"M… I-I.."

"You better get going, it's only a matter of time before they go through the high school yearbooks and think to come here." With a gentle nudge and a wink he moved her outside and quietly shut the door.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape

**A:** _I'm back! Been absolute ages since I wrote this story (sincerely apologise), but I'm here, new computer, days off this summer and all!_

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* * *

_

Navigating the streets away from Mike's house, Sarah's thoughts were moving at sonic speed. Her brother might as well have dropped off the face of the earth, the MDB were suddenly interested in her, and Mike... She drew to the side of the road and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes she bent over the steering wheel, shaking as her heart pounded and panic gripped her chest. This was too much for one person! She was no G.I. Joe, no superhero, she was just one person. Shame burned through her as she considered just leaving it, let someone else deal with this, why must it be her. Her body vibrated with the emotions that tried to escape and be voiced; and she continued like this for an unknowable time, until eventually her body stilled.

She allowed one sob to escape her and then, with no small effort, Sarah pushed the well of feelings deep. The engine turned over and she edged back onto the road, her mind now cleared, prepared for the tasks ahead.

* * *

Her footsteps echoed across the bare foyer causing her to wince as if each step were a gunshot. Her eyes nervously flicked around taking in the glass encased offices and the counter spanning the wall ahead of her. It was quiet with only several customers being helped by tellers, their murmured conversations a low sound in the background. Sarah felt like a criminal, as if she were a wanted man - something she suspected, with great certainty, she would be by the end of the day.

Absentmindedly she wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts and approached the available teller with an edgy smile. The teller looked up from the screen with a bland smile; her nametag glinted in the fluorescent light, Stephanie.

"How can I help you today?"

"Yes, I need to...to withdraw some money from my account." Sarah stopped her fingers from tapping on the counter and gave another smile.

"And how much do you want to withdraw?"

She fought the urge to glance away from the teller's gaze and gave her reply.

"One thousand and five dollars." For an instant the teller's smile froze. Blinking a few times Stephanie regained her bland smile and with a few murmured words excused herself to talk to her manager.

Sarah watched the fierce whispering between them and fought the urge to clench her hands as they approached. The manager cleared her throat and gave a polite smile. "I understand you're trying to withdraw a... rather large sum from your account?"

"Y-yes, you see..." Sarah began to panic; she had not thought up a story for this and desperately wracked her brain for something, anything. Then it dawned on her. With a beaming smile she changed attitude and dived in. "I _finally_ found the most Uh-_mazing_ car! But this, like, other person is totally interested in it and Jerry, y'know the owner, is, like, whoever can get the money to me first gets it. So I'm like okay so I have... almost four hundred in cash so, like, all I have to do is get the rest before the end of the day," she gushed, tugging on a strand of hair and beaming. All she needed was to be smacking on a piece of gum and she could go out for a bimbo character in a movie.

Blinking in surprise the manager quickly recovered and gave her a tolerant smile - the lady had already categorized her and deemed her harmless.

"Generally we need twenty-four hours notice in order to provide that amount, but I'll see what we can do." With that the lady turned on her heels and moved towards the back.

An agonizing twenty minutes later and Sarah pushed through the glass doors tightly clutching the full amount to her chest. Silently apologizing to her parents, to whom she owed the money to, she slipped the envelope into the glove compartment and reversed out.

* * *

Sarah went over the next step as she drove; she had money, admittedly not enough to tide her over for long no matter how much she scrimped, and now, now she needed supplies: clothes, food, and such. With a deep breath she turned towards home. As much as she didn't want to Sarah had to go, she needed to extend that money as far as possible and to do that meant grabbing what she could from home. "I feel like the idiot chick from a horror film going back to where the killer obviously is," she growled and pressed harder on the accelerator.

She pulled onto the shoulder of the road and turned the engine off. Further up the ravine that the road cut across she could see the back of her house and the edge of the road at the front. From her current position it was almost impossible to tell if there was anyone parked above. She gave silent thanks to whoever was out there that the house was located on a hillside with a walkout basement; her room was situated there with double doors that opened out into the large backyard. If luck was on her side she could get up the ravine and into the house with no one catching sight of her.

Sarah quietly shut the car door and edged her way down the slope to bottom of the ravine and set off.

A forest fire years before had removed many of the trees and shrubbery plants had since then taken hold. Unseen thorns caught at her clothing and scratched exposed skin as she tried to silently pick her way through. Fighting the urge to swear as yet another thorn caught on a previous nick she untangled herself from the final vegetation and turned to face the fence. It took no time at all to scale and with a soft 'wump' she landed on the other side.

Crouching low she moved quickly to press herself against the side of the house. A window hung open above and she strained to hear any sounds coming from the first floor. All was silent. Sarah gave a sigh of relief and edged her way to her bedroom doors. With a hope and a prayer she opened a door, tensing in expectation of a loud creak or shouts, or both.

Her room was empty. That's not to say it was untouched, although at a casual glance it would appear so. Sarah noticed the little details: her Halloween mask was now propped on a different side of the shelf, a picture of her and the guys taken while camping sat at an angle. Sarah froze, her nerves screaming run, not realizing she was holding her breath as well. She gave herself a shake and moved across her room to her closet; from within she drew out a bag and for once congratulated herself on being a procrastinator. It was the day bag she had used for the Japan trip and it still contained some extra clothes and amenities. Grabbing a number of additional clothes from the shelves she haphazardly stuffed them into the bag and began searching the rest of the room.

A stair creaked under her foot as she tried to make her way up the staircase – the house remained silent. She had found some small bills in her room as well as a couple of other helpful items like a little first aid kit. The entire time of her search she had heard no noises and took that as a sign that whoever had been there had left, allowing her to move upstairs to raid the pantry. As she continued her way up to the top step she paused and went onto her toes to peek out the stairwell window.

It gave her a clear view of the nose of a black sedan, holding what she could only guess was agents on stake out. Sarah let herself back down and cautiously stepped onto the upper landing of the main floor. She swiftly made her way past the front door and headed down the hall to the kitchen.

_Whiiisssshhh_

Sarah could only gape as the bathroom door ahead of her in the hallway opened, facing towards the kitchen. The first thing she caught sight of was a head of black close-cropped hair as the man exited. His look of surprise as he looked up from tucking in his buttoned shirt galvanized Sarah into action.

She lunged forward and putting all her weight into her shoulder rammed the door closed into the man. Sarah used the energy from her rebound to help propel her back down the hallway, and as she stumbled she heard the man curse in pain.

The door swung back open with force and the doorknob lodged into the drywall, keeping it open. The man sprinted down the hallway shouting into a two-way radio and at her.

"SUSPECT HAS BEEN SPOTTED –

_HEY FREEZE! I SAID -" _ He reached out and snagged her by the hair, _"freeze_."

Sarah whimpered in pain as he cruelly yanked. Through watery eyes she searched for something to grab, her hands fluttering around her sides.

Her fingers connected with the bench and as they slid along they met the hard edge of an object and clasped it. With a loud cry she swung with all her might above her. The object connected with the man's head in a sickening _crunch_. The tugging instantly slackened and she tore away from his grasp, spinning to face him. Blood covered his face and dripped down his chin. His black eyes burned with utter hatred over his hand as he cupped his nose.

"You little bi-" he staggered as his legs gave way. Blood splattered on the hardwood as he swayed on his knees before hitting the floor.

There was no more time; Sarah turned and ran, hefting the pack back onto her shoulder. As she ran towards the stairwell she saw a shadow slide across the frosted window by the front door and instinctively slid the deadbolt home as she went past. Something thudded against the door as she approached the stairwell and leapt; she crashed into the wall on the second landing and pushed herself away to fly down the remaining stairs. She shouldered her way into her bedroom and within seconds was sprinting across the yard.

Approaching the fence she realized she was still gripping onto the thing she had hit the agent with.

Lacquered wood already tacky with blood peeked out from brown paper wrapping. A corner of her mind absently noted that it was the shikami mask she had bought for Peter as she stuffed it into a mesh pocket of the bag before tossing the whole thing over the fence. She quickly followed suit, and as Sarah moved into a crouch she snagged the bag and disappeared into the thorny undergrowth of the ravine.

* * *

Three black SUVs roared past heading up the hill, the draft they created rocking the little car as it moved down the road. Sarah glanced fearfully into the mirror expecting them to screech around and come after her. A horned blared behind her as a truck made an emergency stop to avoid a collision with the vehicles as they veered around a corner and disappeared.

Whatever lead time she had on them was gone now. This car would soon be put out on APB and she needed to get as far and as fast as possible before dumping it.

An angry buzz drew her attention and gripping the wheel tightly she leant over to fish through her handbag bringing out a small cell. Only one person would be likely phoning on it. She flipped it open.

"If you have anything to help me you better spill it fast," she stated before a word could be said on the other side.

"I have some additional information for you. Get to the Cherry Hill Cafe on Tutt in fifteen minutes, someone will meet you there." Her eyes widened in disbelief then slitted into a scowl.

"Are you _enjoying this_?" She hissed.

"Immensely." She could almost see his smirk on the other side of the line. His voice turned serious again. "But I mean it: Tutt, Cherry Hill Cafe, fifteen minutes." The monotone of the dial met her questions and with an exasperated sigh she snapped it shut.

* * *

She was there in nine.

Rolling a mug of iced hot chocolate between her hands she unobtrusively glanced around. She had hung around the entrance at first, trying to look if there was someone attempting to attract her attention. Seeing that there was no one she had chosen a small table in a back corner away from chattering groups of people and the older individuals reading while sipping their coffee. Liquid poured over her hand and she cursed herself as she wiped the table and her hands with a wad of napkins. Sarah gave a start as someone slid into the chair across from her.

He was stocky built, with salt and pepper hair; a scar ran from the tip of one nostril, disappeared under his sunglasses and ended near his temple. He rested his arms on the table, his bear-like hands with their massive palms and thick fingers folded in.

"Montagne sent me." Sarah blinked in surprise; the voice was a smooth, deep baritone that belied his brutish appearance. He reached into an inner pocket of the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a thick yellow envelope. With one finger he pushed it across the table then leant forward again and crossed his arms. "This is all the information he has dug up on the place near Alberta as well another further north." He nodded towards the envelope his darkened gaze never leaving her face.

She drew the envelope towards herself and noted a lump inside. Tearing one end open she turned it upside down and gently shook it trying to dislodge it without losing the papers. Sarah gave the man a questioning look as a key on a safety pin fell into her hand.

"It's for a locker at the University library, you'll want to head out of town in that direction anyway. Inside is another pair of plates for your car, you'll be needing them soon. Real soon."

Sarah understood the implication and once again felt overwhelmed. Blinking back the tears that came to her eyes she turned her gaze towards the table.

"What am I supposed to do now?" She whispered.

"Look kid," he began as he removed his sunglasses and leaned further forward. The scar continued under his left eye, the tissue a startling contrast against the rest of his skin; he stared hard at her with irises the colour of ochre," I don't know what you're supposed to do and frankly it isn't my problem. You just gotta do what you gotta do, and I just gotta do mine."

With that he slipped his sunglasses into place and stood up from the table; Sarah continued to blink back the tears, head bowed. The man paused as he passed her chair and laid a hand on her shoulder for a moment. Then he continued on his way, heading out the door. He did not look back.

* * *

Sarah gave a final twist before straightening up and tossing the screwdriver back into the car kit_._

The sun beat down and heat radiated off the tarmac in shimmering waves. The parking lot was practically empty, only several cars parked near the buildings; the few students taking summer courses. She dusted her hands off and toured around the car. The plates looked fine – she had even rubbed a little dust onto them so they matched the rest of the car. She went through a check of the car ensuring that the lights worked, the last thing she needed was to be pulled over for something like that.

Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a card giving a grimace as she looked at the picture. The driver's license she had found in the envelope must have had one of the worst pictures of her ever.

_It just screams mug shot. And that name is even worse._ She glared at the words, mightily tempted to just burn the damn thing. _Agatha Quentin._ _Jesus where did he come up with a name like that from?_

Sarah heard an incessant ring from inside the car and ducked in to grab the cell.

"Jeez Mike why'd you have to set me up with a name like Ag–"

"You need to get out of town _now_." His sharp tone instantly raised the hairs on her neck.

"What's happened?"

"The cops are moving. I've gotten word they're planning road blocks. You need to leave. Now." She moved to the back of the car and slammed the lid down. A cough on the other end caught her attention.

"Mike? _Mike_?"

"This is all I can do for you right now. Get going." The line went dead and she threw cell phone onto the passenger seat and slid behind the wheel.

* * *

With one last look in her rear view mirror Sarah drove out the city limits, heading north.


	5. Chapter 5

**A: **_Hey this took alittle longer than expected: was gone for the weekend, then work. I know none of the Xmen characters have appeared (they will in time! They're just not the main thing going on) but I just want to say now I apologise if I get some things wrong; I do not know the marvelverse well as I'd like, so if I get things wrong, like the Alkali Lake facility (Alaskan border? (YahooAnswer) Albertan? (gleaned from X1 movie/comic database)), I apologise._

_Anyways enough. Pls enjoy!_**

* * *

**

"Hey, Aggie! I need your help over here! Aggie? _Aggie!_" With a start she turned towards the voice, her face burning red. Sarah still had not become familiar with the new name.

"Looks like Foghorn needs your help," the guy next to her joked. He laughed, absently running his hand through his brown hair as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know that's not very nice to call your _Aunt_." She couldn't help laughing at his grimace.

"Play nice, there's no need to remind me, _Agatha_."

"Aggie where are you?"

With a sigh Sarah pushed herself up and dusted off her knees. She moved towards the caravan and presented herself to a deeply tanned, muscular woman who looked up from a stack of wooden crates to regard her with faded blue eyes. She straightened up and wiped at her face with a rag.

"I need you to label these and deliver them to town." She waved towards the crates she had previously been filling.

"Sure Bonnie, I'll get right on it."

She had been working for Bonnie for two weeks while searching for anything she could find on the rumoured facility. The information she had gotten from Mike only provided the general areas that the two possible facilities were alleged to be, and with the money slowly being eaten away she had decided to look for some work.

Sarah hefted a crate and with a bit of effort pushed it into the back of the truck. Ten minutes later she climbed into the cab and with a roar the engine came to life.

* * *

In a cloud of dust she pulled in front of a rather worn looking grocery store. A man in a dark green apron that stretched across his ample middle came down the steps to greet her.

Hefting a crate she called out to him. "Hey Mr. Karkoff. Bonnie sent me over with the produce." With a grunt she placed the crate in his arms and moved to grab the next one.

"Truly thanks for the help Ag. She, and I, have really needed it." He moved back towards the store. "Are you sure you don't want to take me up on my offer? There's a spare room above the shop that's yours for the taking."

"That's really generous – ,"she lifted another box," but I actually really enjoy the tents, the pickers camp is in a beautiful spot."

_And besides_, she thought, _I may not be here for much longer_; two days before she had come into contact with a mutant who called himself 'Mole' – he was an information broker of sorts. Her face had scrunched in distaste of his methods but as he had said himself, blowing smoke at the webcam," Everyone needs to live, sweetheart." He had promised her information within the next week. The internet cafe was costly but she couldn't stop herself from dropping in morning and afternoon to see if she had any messages.

* * *

She flopped onto her sleeping bag with a sigh of pleasure. Lately she had been feeling exhausted, similar to when she was in Japan, and it wasn't a surprise; the work was gruelling and although Bonnie supplied them with some of the vegetables off the farm, none of the guys in the camp could cook worth a damn.

Outside the tent she could hear a guitar being tuned and the crackle of the camp fire. A side of the tent rustled and Sarah tilted her head to see a familiar shadow projected on the canvas.

"Hey Jordan, come on in." The flap parted and the guy from earlier in the day sheepishly ducked in. He moved to sit beside her and brushed his brown hair back from his face. Sarah eyed him from under the arm she had slung across her face and gave a grin.

" 'S that a nervous tick or something?"

Jordan chuckled and put his hands in his lap. With a deep breath he lay down beside her and stared up at the roof of the tent. Leaves from the trees above spread a sun flecked, shifting pattern across the canvas. Grasshoppers could be heard trilling in the last heat of the day.

"Have you talked to your parents yet?" Sarah shook her head and lapsed into guilty silence. She had told him a story about arguing with her parents about her future plans, and deciding to leave and do a bit travelling, just bumming around.

"How about you?" He and his parents had had a falling out; his Aunt Bonnie had then offered him some work on the farm, as far from the city and his parents as he was liable to get, and he had jumped at the chance.

"...not yet..." They lapsed into silence once more, until with a deep breath Jordan pulled himself up to sitting position and announced," Let's go party."

"Sounds good to me." With a helpful hand from Jordan, Sarah stood up and they exited the tent to greet the raucous noise starting up outside.

Hours later two shadowy figures stumbled towards the silvery river laughing loudly.

"Your friends are _insane_." Jordan exclaimed as Sarah dropped heavily onto a rock. She chuckled before replying.

"Apparently they're nothing compared to yours."

She tilted up to look at him, a smile on her face, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight. He gazed down at her, grinning. The atmosphere around them seemed to shift and he slowly bent towards her.

Gently he kissed her. Sarah reached up and slid her hand behind his head as the kiss deepened. She lost herself in the moment, and then with a sigh broke it off.

"Sorry." She rose from the rock and turned to follow the path back to the camp.

"No wait." He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have – "

"No. It was my fault; I shouldn't have let it hap – "

"Let's just ... forget about it." He turned away and began to trudge up the path. Sarah watched his back for a moment before following.

* * *

The next two days went by awkwardly. They avoided each other's gaze and when forced to work together they did so in uncomfortable silence. On the morning of the third day Jordan broke the silence. Throwing down the trowel he had been using he swivelled on the balls of his feet to face Sarah. She bent her head down further and doggedly continued scratching at the ground.

He stared intently at the side of her face before heaving a sigh.

"Look we're both feeling a little... awkward about what happened the other night." She mumbled a reply, nodding.

"Let's just start over." Jordan stuck out a hand. "Agreed?"

She turned to face him the tension in her chest loosening. With a smile she took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Agreed."

A smile split Jordan's face and he gave her hand a squeeze before dropping it. "Allllrighty! What say you to going to Babb's?"

"I say lead on!"

* * *

Music blared out of crackling speakers as they made their way to the bar. Towards evening Babb's was the closest thing to a bar around; although during the day it doubled as a homey, albeit slightly grimy, family restaurant. As Jordan leaned in to shout into the bartender's ear Sarah took her time scanning the room, enjoying the liveliness; although she could never be called an extrovert, she had found she always felt better with people around. She watched the persons around her, some she had already come to recognize, and many she had not; two old men at the table off to the right, who were by far the loudest in there, she'd heard from some of the camp residences were growing more than just old. She couldn't help but grin as they roared in laughter again, one pounding the table in hysterics.

A tap on her shoulder drew her attention back to a grinning Jordan who held up both drinks before handing one to Sarah. He leant down to speak in her ear.

"Let's grab a seat outside, if we have to listen to anymore of this music I'll go berserk." She gave a nod and he moved towards the patio breaking a path through the crowded room.

* * *

Sarah enjoyed the cool air of the shaded patio and felt the most relaxed in what seemed like a lifetime. Since her exit out of town her face had been on television and there had been radio broadcasts asking for her whereabouts. There was even a reward out for finding her; 'donated' by her worried parents. If Sarah knew anything about her parents it's that they were praying that she was as far away and as safe as possible. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms over the table heaving a sigh. A chuckle across from her caused her to crack an eye open.

"Any more relaxed and you'll be asleep," he commented sprawling in his seat. She gave a lazy smile before reaching for her drink.

"You're looking pretty tranquil yourself."

He blinked in surprise before smiling and settling further into his chair. "Yeah I guess I am. Sometimes being in the boonies has its ups." A comfortable silence fell for a few minutes. Birds hopped along the decorative brick of the patio looking for scraps before taking to the trees. Jordan followed their progress before lazily turning his gaze back to Sarah.

"So Aggie, what are your plans for the future?"

And for the most of the afternoon they talked about what they wanted to do, laughing over their childhood career plans. Sarah tried to hide the melancholy that was coming over her. She been startled to realize that she had none, no prospects, not any longer – searching for her brother was her present and future; and so she had drawn on what her plans used to be, enjoying the 'what if'.

Sitting back with a laugh after telling a story about acting as a waitress with a friend to their families when they were nine, Sarah caught sight of three men down the road hollering harassments at an elderly man walking in front of them and she frowned.

"What's up?" Jordan followed her gaze. He glanced back at her as she stood up from the table and began to drift towards them. She couldn't make what they were saying but their body language seemed to indicate two things: they were drunk and close to getting physical.

"What's with the thing on their sleeve?" She asked turning slightly towards Jordan as he moved up beside her. She was pointing at a patch of colour could be seen on the right sleeve of the men. He scrunched his eyes trying to see better then shook his head.

"Dunno, might be one of those anti-mutant, puritist groups. Bigots are everywhere," he suggested with a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey I'm talking to you, mutie lover!"

Sarah whipped her head around to see the thugs surrounding the frightened man. She glanced around seeing if anyone would help. Some people looked away shame etched across their features at their own cowardice. A few men made to get up but were held back by their female counterparts who pleaded in whispers to stay out of it.

She made a noise of disgust and strode towards the group.

"Ag, no!" Jordan futilely reached out to grab her arm only gripping air.

Her shoulders hunched in determination and she set her narrowed eyes on the men. "Leave that man alone!"

The laughter paused as the three guys looked towards her. She planted her feet and stood before them her breath coming in angry gusts. A tall man with bleached hair turned to the other two before swaggering towards her with a smirk.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and bent at the hips to look her in the face. "And who the hell are you?" His sour breath washed over Sarah's face and her features scrunched in disgust. She pushed further into his face causing him to step back.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Leave. That man. Alone." She stared steadily into his eyes until his smirk pulled down and he straightened. With a scowl he stepped back and pulled a hand out of his pocket. He regarded her with vicious brown eyes glazed over from alcohol.

"Why the fuck should I?" he spat clenching his hand until his knuckles popped. "You some mutie loving freak too?"

Before she could snap out a reply Jordan grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. "I apologise for her abrasiveness." The man sneered at Jordan's words. "But I also insist that you leave that man alone."

Blondie gave Jordan a calculating stare before putting his hands up in gesture of defeat. "Sure, no problem." He turned towards his friends then snapped back around, his arm lashing out like a whip to strike Jordan in the throat. Jordan instantly dropped his hands clawing at his neck as he wheezed and gargled.

"No!" Sarah launched herself at Blondie hands curled into claws aiming to inflict whatever damage she could. With a sweep of his arms he threw her away from himself crying out as a finger snagged on an earring and tore it out. Sarah hit the ground hard on her back the air gusting out of her. Gasping she pulled herself up off the ground, tossed the piece of metal aside and approached him more warily. The elder man stood forgotten as Blondie's buddies moved to join the fight and Sarah unobtrusively signalled him to leave. All of Blondie's focus was on her and as soon as she was within range he snapped forward to deliver a blow.

With a small prayer Sarah stepped to the side and grabbed his outstretched arm at the wrist and shoulder, sending him crashing as she redirected him to the ground. Manoeuvring on her knees she pulled his arm behind his back to immobilize him. She pushed hard as he struggled to get free and something gave way. He let out a shrill cry and Sarah instantly let go realizing she had broken something in his arm.

_Senseis would have an absolute field day_, she thought crazily, thinking of every lecture she had heard during the brief period she attempted aikido. She turned towards Jordan and suddenly found her whole body twisting as pain like a hot poker shot from her cheek across her face. Dazed, she could only lie and watch as one of the other thugs loomed over shaking out one foot before drawing it back again. The pain was excruciating and all she could do was attempt to cover herself as the blows rained down.

Then abruptly they stopped. Sarah cracked an eye open and stared right into the frantic eyes of the thug as he lay across from her. Fractures formed around his body with a crack like gunshots.

Sarah rolled onto her hands and knees retching as pain throbbed through her skull. She lifted her head with great effort and looked around through squinting eyes. The scene before her she could not comprehend: two men were down, Blondie and the one that had been attacking her earlier – a depression forming around him. The remaining man was charging at Jordan and Sarah watched in amazement as, with one arm, Jordan caught him in the solar plexus and sent him flying across the street into a lamp post. As he stalked towards the crumpled body Sarah unsteadily got to her feet.

"Jordan," she whispered. She took a breath and tried again.

"Jo-rdan, sto-op," she croaked. He froze and with a twitch, as if shaking his self off, he turned away from the man and ran towards her.

"Are you alright?" He gingerly grabbed her under the arms as another wave of pain caused her to gag. Black began to edge along her vision and she was certain she would lose consciousness. She gasped out a reply.

"Go. We need ... away." Jordan nodded in understanding and hoisted her up.


End file.
